The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones

These over-ears and earbuds will add some silence and serenity to your day.Shaking off the world and sinking into a new album can feel like a train ride through the countryside... unless you're on an actual train with a loud talker next to you. Or a baby crying. Or wheels that make that really bad squeal when they brake. Come to think of it, there are a lot of sounds that can ruin a good song, and that's why we have headphones that isolate and actively cancel out noise. Below are a dozen of the best noise-canceling headphones you can buy, handpicked by the Gear team here at WIRED.
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Sony

WH1000XM3

Price$348

The WH1000XM3 may have an incredibly dull name, but wearing them puts you right in the front row (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Sony's active noise canceling is best in class (on par with Bose), and the sound comes to life more than the QC35s, which is why they also got our nod as the Best Wireless Headphones. Wearing them is like attending a private concert—even if you're actually in a crowded airplane with a baby screaming a few rows back—and there's plenty of time for multiple encores with 30 hours of battery on a charge.

Bose

QuietComfort 35 (Series II)

Price$349

Bose have set the standard for active noise cancelation for some time, and the QuietComfort 35 II are its top cans, with wireless connectivity, a comfortable fit, and 20+ hours on a charge (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Many companies make flashier headphones, but Bose excels at providing a complete package that sounds great and does its job well in most every way that counts.

Bose

QuietComfort 25 (Wired)

Price$229

Wires are the enemy of trendy headphones, but who cares? If you like a good cord and 3.5mm headphone jack, we're right there with you. The Bose QC 25 are much cheaper than their wireless sibling, but they still sound excellent and cancel out noise with the best of 'em. The Android version will work with iPhone (provided you didn't lose your adapter). The only thing you'll lose is the ability to control them from the cord. They'll still play music just fine.

PSB

M4U 8

Price$399

Gear editor Mike Calore loves the PSB M4U 8. Like many headphones on this list, they aren't the most stylin' cans you can stuff on your ears, but they have a lovely balanced sound to them (they call it "RoomFeel") and suitable active noise canceling. The 15 hours of juice per charge should get you through a week of commuting, and if they do go dead, you can still use them wired.

Phiaton

BT 100 NC

Price$80

Neckbuds-style wireless earbuds have started to go out of style as battery life improves on more petite models, but that doesn't mean they aren't still awesome. These wireless Phiaton earbuds do actively cancel noise, and they're splash resistant, too. They should last at least 7 or 8 hours on a charge, and will work wired as well. Not everyone will like a neckband, but you may like them more than you think.

RHA

TrueConnect

Price$170

These are RHA's answer to the Apple AirPods and they're some of the Best Workout Headphones you can buy. They don't actively cancel noise, but they are really adept at isolating you from noise, or keeping it out. They're fully wirefree, get about 5 hours on a charge, and come with a cradle that can keep them topped up for 20 hours of playtime before it needs charging. The fantastic audio quality and three-year warranty should put them on your short list.

Microsoft

Surface Headphones

Price$350

Microsoft has joined the crowded field of headphones trying to beat Bose at what Bose knows best: noise canceling. Surprisingly, the Surface headphones have some refreshing ideas (8/10, WIRED Recommends). The sound quality is great, and you can adjust the volume and level of noise cancelation with dials on the rim of each earcup. The dials are very intuitive, and let you adjust between 13 different levels of noise cancelation.

Plantronics

BackBeat Pro 2

Price$185

The BackBeat Pro 2 do not have the absolute best noise canceling on the market (you'll hear a bit of noise in a loud subway), but everything else about them kicks the keister out of most sub-$300 wireless headphones. The controls are easy to use and they sound excellent, with a punch of bass when needed. They also auto pause if you lift even one earcup off your head, and twist to rest quite comfortably on your shoulders when you take them off.

Plantronics

Voyager 8200 UC

Price$220

The Voyager 8200 UC (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are almost identical to the BackBeat Pro 2—just a bit better, all around. They have one extra level of noise canceling, and extra microphones for phone calls. Callers will still think you're on speaker, but they'll know what you're saying, unlike many wireless headphones. Like the Pro 2, these are also quite comfortable to wear for commuting, even when you drape them around your neck, and they auto pause when you take them off. Battery life is 24 hours.

Beats

Studio3 Wireless

Price$350

I was shocked how much I enjoyed wearing the Studio3 (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It took me a day or two to get used to the heavier Beats-style bass, but it's honestly not as overpowering as it used to be. Apple calls its noise cancelation tech "Pure ANC" and it silences ambient noise in a subtle, highly effective way, especially in settings with a lot of people sounds, like a coffee shop. The Studio3 also get a respectable 20 hours of battery life (40 if you turn ANC off) and have extra connectivity features for iPhone users.

Panasonic

RP-HD605N

Price$250

Wearing a pair of Panasonic headphones may not sound like a trendy proposition, but the Japanese tech maker knows what it's doing. This pair of headphones comes with crystal clear sound and three levels of noise canceling (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It even has the same fancy trick as Sony headphones: If you cup your palm over the right earcup, it pipes all the ambient noise back in, letting you hear important messages or conversations when needed.

Nura

Nuraphone

Price$399

The Nuraphones isolate noise and actively cancel it, but that's the least interesting thing about them (8/10, WIRED Recommends). They're over-ear headphones with earbuds inside them. The strange design allows them to custom tune to your ears. The earbuds send tones into your ear and use a NASA-grade microphone to listen to the echo to determine which frequencies your ears are more sensitive to hearing. It takes a few tries to get it just right, but when you nail it, the Nuraphones sound very good.